[John Cuevas]

12 years later, if I could do it all again, I’d get a second major/minor in graphic design. As much as I have studied the subject, I know there is a ton more to learn and it’s cost me quite in work time and probably opportunity.

Even when I’m just editing, the knowledge of good graphic design is so important. When you throw AE into the mix, I think it’s essential to have that background. So that’s the one I would choose if it were me.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

Sure-select the jpeg in the timeline that you need to replace. Hold down ‘alt'(pc) and select the new footage from the project panel. Now while holding down ‘alt’ drag it on to the old jpeg. It will replace the footage with keyframes,effects,masks all the same.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

I’m a little confused about what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to create a regular DVD that plays in a set top player-or just put your files on a Data DVD, so someone can open up your files, animations, graphics…and play them? If you just want to create a regular DVD, then use AE’s Mpeg2-DVD output.

What i don’t understand is if i output to quicktime without using any compression it becomes the same scenario with skipping and jumping. By using a dvd authoring tool, how do i use or find that?

This is happening because when you play a large file like a quicktime anmination(uncompressed) off your DVD drive you are moving a lot of information from the drive to RAM/CPU. It will hardly ever play smooth. You need a file that is compressed for playback from a DVD, like a mpeg2.

Really if you are using this for your folio, you want something that is easy to play and plays smoothly. Potential employers are not going to be impressed if there are playback problems. I’ve had to watch hundreds of demo reels and if I got one that stopped and started I’m not going to finish watching it.

Really, you would be better off creating a DVD for settop play-that will also play in a computer. Using AE’s preset(crank up the bitrate to 5K target, 8K max. Then use a DVD authoring program like Encore and you’ll be covered. Not every future employer is going to put the DVD in thier computer, if they put it in a set top a Data DVD won’t play and your work is going to be tossed in the trash.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

To the aspect ratio question, AE displays in square pixels, so when you bring in your video it will show you a square pixel display of a non-square pixel source. Your video may looked squished in AE, but it’s probably not.

Under the display window, there is a toggle aspect ratio button. This will approximate 4×3 and 16×9 on a computer(square pixel monitor).

Most importantly you need to make sure your composition is setup correctly. The easiest way to do this would be by just taking your footage and dropping it on the make new comp button in the project panel.

Unless I miss my guess, you have 4×3 footage, but you have made a 16×9 composition. If you hit cntl-k on your already made composition, change the Pixel Aspect Ratio to .9 instead of 1.2. It maybe happening because AE is incorrectly interpreting your footage—right click on the footage in the project panel to make sure it’s being interpreted as 4×3

As for compression-there are so many ways to send things. Flash, WMV…for our client previews, generally a 50% size wmv works pretty good.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

Not sure about watching it in quicktime, but this issues happens to me when I go from AE to Avid and don’t take into consideration RGB to 601color levels.

Easy fix for this—add adjust layer over everything-set the black imput to 16(if it’s still 0 to 255) and the white to 235. That will correct the difference and keep it broadcast legal.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

There are basically two ways as people have layed out before. One hook up a DVD player to your Avid and import as composite. This can be messy and really doesn’t look that good. I’ve had sync issues doing this as well.

The second option is to Demux your DVD. Demuxing takes the VOB files and converts them into a format that the Avid can ingest. I’m lucky, we use Digital Rapids for compression, so I can throw in a DVD, point to the VOB’s and convert to a Quicktime with the Avid codec-which looks pretty good.

There are plenty of demuxers out there, so all you need to do is find one—and if you have the Avid QT codec all the better(worth getting-it’s somewhere on Avid’s website, just not the easiest thing to find).

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

Very cool, thank you for the link & blog.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

Couple of ways. First open each precomp and press “cntl+K” to access the composition settings and change the duration to match the time of your comp.

Second way would be to select the precomp layers and enanble time remapping(“cntl+alt+t), move the last keyframe to the end of the composition and then press “alt + ]” to stretch out the layer. If your precomps are already the right length then going to the end and pressing “alt + t” would do the trick.

Timeremapping though will add frames to you precomp, possibly making effects, video, ect…look book.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

It is fast opening, adding things (effects, 3D…) but when I play it back in the Footage/Composition it takes forever to render just ONE frame.

Then it goes through about 3/4 frames then it takes forever again.

I keep reading this and I’m wondering are you trying to play what you are working on in AE. If so, yes it can take some time—and depending on the effects, footage, resolution, maybe a lot of time.. AE really isn’t designed for much in playback. When I use it, I may RAM preview, 1 second to 5 seconds of an animation and I’m on a very powerful computer(designed from Adobes recommended specs built specifically for After Effects.

For playback and your interview, you need to render the files an .avi, .wmv or .mov on your harddrive and play from there and now AE.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net

[John Cuevas]

If you are refering to the cartoon effect under “stylize”, a easy way would be to just split the layer where you want it applied and don’t.

Select your layer and under edit, you will find split layer. Make your edits, then just apply the effect to the segments you want ‘cartooned’

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
http://www.ckandco.net